Mend the Heart
by tnasci13
Summary: After Toby's betrayal Spencer is falling apart. She finds comfort in her best friend Emily and surprisingly Emily's girlfriend Paige. Can Spencer find a place in Emily and Paige's relationship? Will Paige and Emily be able to mend Spencer's shattered heart? Spaily is the end game.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors notes-** This is my first time writing fan fiction and I am not great with dialogue stories so please be nice. I decided to write this after reading another story that gave me serious Spaily feels. I really like the idea of McHastings, but I feel like the two are way too similar and the only way they would really work is if there was a mediator which is where Emily comes in! I also really like the idea of Spemily, but in any universe where Paige exists Paily is endgame. So to satisfy my Mchastings feels and my Spemily feels I wanted to write a Spaily fic since there are not really any out there. I don't really know where I am going to take this story or how often I will be able to update, but if y'all like it I will try my best. Let me know your thoughts on the story and any ideas about it you want to see happen.

**Disclaimer-** I do not own any of the characters

**-Spencer POV- **

It had been two weeks since Toby had locked me in my steam room. Four weeks since I had found out he was on the A team. Four weeks since my heart was ripped to shreds. Four weeks since I had slept through the night without nightmares haunting me and I was falling apart. It was like I wasn't even in my body, but rather, an outsider watching myself; watching myself crumble unable to do anything to stop it. Every day I watched myself break a little bit more until I thought I couldn't break anymore. I could. It had been a particularly rough day, the numbness had faded away long enough for me to feel the full force of the knife twisting deep in my heart. The days where I felt it all were the worst I now preferred the numbness.

I was exhausted and I didn't know what to do. It was only 7pm, but since I was already holed up in my room I figured I would try to fight for some sleep. I fell asleep almost immediately. Falling asleep was never the problem. The problem was staying asleep. The problem was the nightmares. Just like every night I jolted awake the image of Toby in that hoodie with his hands around my neck still clear. My hands went to my neck where I could still feel his hands squeezing. Looking at the clock on my bedside table I sigh as I realize only 10 minutes had passed. The nightmares were coming sooner each night I was getting less and less sleep. If this continued soon I would be getting no sleep at all. The exhaustion is excruciating, but I feel like I can't breathe so I decide to go outside. Maybe if I tire myself out enough I will at least be able to sleep through the nightmares. I doubt it, but it is worth a try. Before I can talk myself out of it I am outside begging my legs to take me away from this hell.

I am so exhausted I don't realize where I am going until I am standing in front of Emily's house. Emily is one of my best friends and throughout this whole ordeal she is the one that has truly been there for me. For some reason she is the only one I have been able to talk to about this and that is probably the only reason I have not completely crumbled. The other girls know about Toby, but Emily is the only one who knows the details, the pain, the fear, and worst of all the nightmares. My relationship with Emily has always been different, closer. I can always tell her anything and she will help me get through whatever hardship comes my way. I don't know what I would do without Emily which makes me way more protective of her, protective almost to a fault. As I stare at her door I decide that since I am already here I may as well talk to her and see if it will help, it usually does.

I walk up to the door and ring the bell. Immediately I regret ringing the bell I should have texted her I chastise myself. What if she is not home and here mom answers the door? I don't think I could handle that. Or crap what if Paige is here? I don't want to ruin their night. Paige. This thought makes me feel even worse, it wasn't too long ago that I was accusing her of being A when in reality A was sleeping in bed right beside me. A shudder runs through me and tears threaten to surface suddenly I am nauseous as I fight off another image from my nightmares of Toby on top of me, inside of me, all over me. I try to shake the image and focus on where I am. I focus back on Emily and hope that Paige is not here I don't think I could handle the guilt if she is. After that night with Nate or whatever his name was I apologized to her, but after hearing about her past with Ali and after the way she saved me on the train it will never be enough. I can never take back what I said or the emotional damage I know I did. After a few seconds pass I am about to turn and leave so I don't risk it, but before I can I hear someone approach the door. I quickly try to get a hold on my emotions before the door opens to reveal a startled Paige. I was clearly not who she was expecting either. "Paige" I force out in a pathetic voice as I start to panic. I am losing control of my emotions and the last thing I want to do is break down in front of Paige.

As Paige takes in my appearance her eyes immediately soften and she takes a small step forward. "Spencer, hey are you okay?"

I try to respond but I can't I feel the tears fighting to spring free and I know if I speak I will lose the fight to keep them in. The worried look on her face is haunting me I don't understand how she can be so nice to me after how awful I was to her. "Emily" is all I can manage to force out before I feel the tears being set free. Before Paige gets a chance to respond the tears take over and everything starts to fade out I feel myself falling. I can vaguely here Paige calling my name but I can't respond I can't do anything but cry.

**-Paige POV- **

I am sitting in Emily's living room waiting for her to return. She had gone out to pick up dinner for our impromptu movie night date and she wanted to surprise me with something so she made me wait here while she went out. After about 10 minutes I heard the doorbell ring and I thought it might be Emily needing help with the food so I got up to answer the door. When I opened the door I was shocked to find a tired looking Spencer instead. "Paige" she says in a barely audible voice.

As I look closer at Spencer worry begins to overtake me. She doesn't look tired she looks broken. She has the same look I had years ago in my struggle with Alison, defeated self-hating and ready to give up. "Spencer, hey are you okay?" I immediately ask as I step towards her. I can see the internal struggle she is having as tears start to well up in her eyes.

After a moment she finally whimpers "Emily." I know she is looking for Emily, but before I can tell her where she is I see tears start to flow and her knees start to waver.

"Spencer" I yell as I lung forward and catch her just before she hits the ground. She is sobbing uncontrollably now so I scoop her up into my arms and carry her into the house. I place her gently on the couch then move to go grab some water but before I can Spencer grabs my arm in a panic.

"Please don't leave me" she sobs weakly. The sight breaks my heart so I sit down on the couch and pull her into me. She lays her head on my chest and hugs my waist tightly. I wrap one arm snuggly around her and stroke her hair with my other. I know words won't help her now so I just hold her close and let her cry.

Soon I feel Spencer's sobs die down and her breathing even out. I look down and sigh as I watch her sleep. Seeing her this broken hurts I know we have had our problems, but she doesn't deserve this no one deserves this. Before I can think about it too much I hear the door slam shut as Emily comes bustling in. The sound causes Spencer to stir in her sleep and a panicked look flashes across her face. I tighten my grip on her and softly whisper "Shh Spencer it's okay you are here with me no one is going to hurt you. It was just the door, it's just Emily.

This seems to calm her down and she snuggles tighter into me. "Emily" she mumbles with a small smile before her breathing evens out again. Once I am sure she is back to sleep I look up towards the door and see a startled and confused Emily. My eyes catch hers and she snaps out of her daze rushing over to me.

"What happened? Is she okay?" she asks as she kneels in front of me the fear clear in her eyes.

"I don't know" I reply "she was here looking for you that's all she got out before she broke down." I pause for a moment before I continue "I didn't really try to get her to talk I just calmed her down and got her to sleep. I figured rest was the thing she needed most she looked exhausted."

Emily's eyes locked on mine and a sad smile appears "thank you" she whispers "for taking care of her"

"It's my pleasure" I respond sincerely.

**-Emily POV-**

After a long wait at the bakery I finally return with dinner and some coconut cupcakes for Paige. I am super excited to surprise her so I burst through the door letting it slam behind me. I walk towards the living room and what I see on the couch stops me in my tracks. Paige is sitting there holding tightly to Spencer. I am confused as to why Paige is cuddling with Spencer, but then I see her face. It is clear Spencer has been crying and the way I closed the door seemed to have startled her. I watch on in awe as Paige pulls Spencer in closer and whispers in her ear. I know just how incredibly comforting Paige can be so it's no surprise when Spencer relaxes into her and falls back asleep. These last few weeks have been really rough on Spencer I know she hasn't been sleeping so it is relieving to see her finally relaxing and getting some rest. Paige looks up at me with a sad smile that breaks me out of my daze. I rush to the couch and kneel in front of her. "What happened? Is she okay?"

"I don't know" she replies quietly "she was here looking for you that's all she got out before she broke down." she pause taking a breath before she continued "I didn't really try to get her to talk I just calmed her down and got her to sleep. I figured rest was the thing she needed most she looked exhausted." She looks up at me with uncertainty and I smile.

"Thank you, for taking care of her" I say as I stare at her in awe. She is honestly the most kind and caring person I know especially now that she is so comfortable with who she is.

"My pleasure" she responds with a slight smirk. Sometimes she doesn't realize how amazing she is and this appears to be one of those moments. "No seriously" I say firmly, holding her gaze "I know things between you two have not been great so this means a lot to me."

She smiles slightly and replies softly "It was nothing; I mean what was I going to do leave her crying on the porch?"

"No" I laugh, "but you didn't have to comfort her like this. I am really glad that you did though because I know firsthand just how comforting it is wrapped in your arms."

A blush begins to spread across her face and she dips her head she looks back up and sighs "I think maybe I should hand her over to you and just head home" she says, but before she can move I stop her.

"Don't she needs you" I plead. Paige shakes her head and opens her mouth to argue, but before she can I point to spencer "Look at her. She has not slept in weeks, not even in my arms. The nightmares only seem to be getting worse yet here she is sleeping peacefully in your arms." We both watch Spencer for a minute before I continue "Paige you may not believe me, but trust me you make her feel safe. You have saved her before and you are saving her again you are chasing away her nightmares."

I catch her eyes and try to portray my sincerity. "Okay" she whispers as she settles back into the couch.

"Okay good. How about I get you some food we can watch a movie and let her get some sleep" I say as I get up and head for the kitchen.

* * *

After the movie finished I cleaned up all the food and put the leftovers in the kitchen. On my way back to the living room I stopped in the doorway and watched Paige and Spencer. Seeing them snuggled like that, seeing Spencer finally sleep, seeing Paige care so much for one of her best friends it made her happy. It made her heart burst with love. Hearing a noise I look out the window and see my mom's car pulling into the driveway so I quietly go out to talk to her.

"Hey sweet heart" she says when she sees me "is everything okay? Did Paige go home already?"

"No Paige is still here she is inside with Spencer actually"

At the mention of Spencer's name her smile fell "How is she?" Pam asks the worry clear in her voice.

"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about it has been rough on her she hasn't been sleeping, but somehow Paige got her to sleep so I was hoping Paige and Spencer could stay the night." Before she could respond I quickly added "Paige will sleep in my bed with Spencer and I will sleep on the floor, please just for tonight"

My mom places a hand on my arm and chuckles "Emily its fine, she can stay just make sure it's okay with her parents okay" I nod and she continues "Do Spencer's parents know she is here?"

"I don't know" I say with a sigh "she was already asleep when I got back with our food and Paige said she didn't say much so probably not."

"Okay I will call her parents and let them know she is staying here and you go have Paige call her parents."

"Yeah thanks mom I love you."

"I love you too Emily."

I quietly made my way back into the living room and smiled when I saw Paige had dozed off. Kneeling in front of her I placed my hand on her knee. "Paige" I said with a gently shake of her leg.

"Hmm" she replied as she slowly opened her eyes to look at me.

"Hey babe, why don't you call your parents and see if you can stay the night. I already asked my mom and she said it's not a problem, that way Spence can get a good night's sleep and we can talk in the morning."

"Okay sounds good" she says as she reaches for her phone. While she calls her parents I head upstairs to get my bed ready.

My mom stops me in the hallway "hey honey Spencer's parents said its fine if she stays they are glad she is finally getting some rest."

"Okay thanks" I say as I turn towards my room.

"Oh and Em"

"Yeah mom" I say as I stop and look back towards her.

"You don't have to sleep on the floor. I know spencer needs you guys and I trust you and Paige."

"Thank you mom" I say as I hug her. It still amazes me how far she has come and it makes me so happy when she does says things like that.

I pull away and smile "good night honey" she says kissing my forehead "Let me know if you girls need anything."

"Okay I will night mom." As she went into her room I headed back downstairs to check on Paige. "Hey what did your parents say?" I ask as I enter the living room.

"They said it was fine" she replies with a smile. I move towards the couch to wake Spencer, but before I can Paige stops me, "let her sleep. I will just carry her she is a lot lighter than she looks." I look at her hesitantly, but she gives me a reassuring smile and before I can object Paige stands up effortlessly lifting Spencer into her arms.

Her strength both physically and emotionally still amazes me. I follow behind her and watch her gracefully carry Spencer up the stairs. When we reach my room I rush ahead of her and pull back the covers. Paige slides into bed and pulls Spencer tight while I pull the covers up over them. I give Paige a quick kiss before turning off all the lights and climbing into bed on the other side of Spencer. I snuggled into both her and Paige and as I close my eyes I whisper "good night Paige, thanks for being so awesome today. I love you."

"Night Em I love you too."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Notes- **Thank you to everyone who has followed or favorited this story I was really nervous to post it so the warm reception has been great. Thanks to everyone who reviewed my story and left kind words of encouragement. This chapter is a little shorter than I wanted it to be but I hope the content makes up for that.

go-sullivan- it was actually your Spemily story that was giving me the Spaily feels. The way that you write the McHastings dynamic and the way the three of them are when they are just at the apartment with teddy it was just making me want the three of them together. The ones I have read on tumbler have been great there just hasn't been enough development to satisfy my feels. I hope you have an update soon because I really love your story.

**Disclaimer-** I do not own any of the characters if I did Spaily would be canon

**-Spencer POV-**

The growl of my stomach rouses me from sleep. As my eyes flicker open I am filled with confusion when I realize I am not in my own room. I try to sit up to see where I am, but a strong pair of arms, tightening protectively around my waist stops me. As my eyes adjust to the dark room I look up to see that Paige is wrapped around me and suddenly the events of last night come rushing back to me. I went to Emily's. I broke down in front of Paige. Paige held me while I cried. Paige held me all night while I slept. Looking around I realize we are in Emily's room and that Emily is snuggled into my back. Seeing the both of them curled into me protectively makes me smile. My eyes focus on the alarm clock behind Paige and 3:15 am is flashing in bright red. The smile I was wearing now covers my face as I realize I slept for more than 7 hours and not once did Toby and the nightmares he brings win. I still feel tired, but my hunger and need to pee are more important right now so I attempt to extract myself from Paige's hold. Instead of letting me go she tightens her grip so I shake her shoulder. "Paige" I say as I shake her again.

After a few seconds I get a tired "hmmm" in response.

"Paige I need to get up I have to go to the bathroom."

"Mmm okay" she mumbles, but she still doesn't let me go.

I chuckle softly and shake her gently again "Paige I can't get up if you won't let me go."

This seems to get her attention and she opens her eyes to look at me. "Oh sorry" she says as she releases me.

As I crawl out of bed I tell her I will be back in a bit and when she nods and closes her eyes again I leave the room. After the bathroom I head to the kitchen and make a peanut butter sandwich. While I eat I let my mind wander. I start thinking about Paige and the way she was holding me so protectively. It still makes no sense to me because I was so horrible to her. Despite everything I did she forgave me before I even apologized and she put herself in harm's way to save me on the train. I was beginning to realize how much of a caring and comforting person she really is and the way she held me last night is definitely making me see her in a whole new way.

When I first met Paige it was while playing field hockey and I was instantly intrigued by her, but I was also intimidated. On the field she was a fierce competitor and off the field she was seemingly unapproachable. After her issues with Emily I figured she was just a horrible judgmental person and didn't bother giving her the time of day. I had no idea what was really going on with her though. Emily saw the real Paige though. She has always had an amazing ability to see the real person underneath all the walls and masks and she saw straight through Paige. She broke through the anger and she tore down the walls until we could see the real Paige too. When they got together I was happy for Em, but I let Cece and my paranoia get to me and all I could see was the Paige we named a penalty after. When the whole Nate situation played out I felt awful and I figured Paige would hate me, but she never showed any animosity towards me. Then on the train she saved me without a second thought for her safety. That night made me realize that Paige is an amazing, caring person who would risk her life to save others and I knew there had to be more to her story. When I asked her about her past with Ali she was surprisingly honest. With Emily by her side she told us about how Ali tortured her, the self-hatred she struggled with and the hell she went through trying to hide what she was. Suddenly everything I knew about her made sense and I felt worse than awful. I was no better than Ali and she just forgave me without looking back. She is this amazingly strong person and now I had even more to thank her for. I don't think I will ever be able to make it up to her especially if she keeps saving me like she did tonight.

The sound of someone coming down the stairs startles me and I look up to see Paige walking into the kitchen sleepily. "Spencer are you okay" she asks with concern in her voice.

"Yeah I am fine" I reply "I was hungry so I thought I would get a snack before I went back to bed."

Paige sits at the table next to me and I see her relax "okay, I was just worried because it's been a while and you said you would be right back."

"No I'm okay. Actually I am really good I haven't slept this much in weeks" I chuckle.

"Yeah you were pretty out of it. You didn't even stir when I carried you up to Em's room."

"Wait you carried me up there?" I ask with wide eyes. Paige's cheeks flush a light pink and she nods in response. "Oh" I say as I run a hand through my hair. "Well that explains why I don't remember going up there."

"Well I figured you needed the sleep so there was really no reason to wake you when I could just carry you."

We both look down and a silence fills the room. I start thinking about what she said and I realize that while I am still filled with guilt Paige also fills me with comfort and a sense of safety. "Thanks you" I blurt out suddenly "for everything. I know I don't deserve your kindness after everything I did to you but"

"No" she cuts me off. "Spencer stop, I have forgiven you for all that already." I open my mouth to argue, but before I can she adds "seriously Spencer you are not a bad person. You didn't do all that stuff because you hate me or because you were trying to hurt me you did it to protect Emily. Yeah some of the things you said hurt on a deep level, but I could never blame you or hold it against you not when it was for Emily. She is all that matters to me and you did what you thought you needed to do to protect her. You have been through hell these last few weeks so yes you do deserve my kindness. Emily cares about you and I love Emily so I will do anything I can to help you through this okay."

When she finishes I realize tears are running down my face. She places a reassuring hand on my shoulder and I wipe the tears of my face and smile "Okay" I choke out. "You know you are pretty amazing" I say as I nudge her shoulder.

"Nah" she replies as she dips her head with a shy smile.

"Seriously McCullers you're like a freaking superhero running in and saving the day. You know it's funny because tonight every time a nightmare would start you would come bursting in dressed in that suit from Halloween and you would hulk out and throw Toby across the room like it was nothing and just like that the nightmare would be over."

She stares at me wide-eyed for a second before she responds "well just like that night it was my pleasure." She smirks at me before she stands up "come on Hastings let's go back to bed I'm sure you could use a few more hours of sleep I know I sure could."

"Alright if you say so" I joke as I get up to clean up my mess and follow her.

When we get back to Emily's room I hesitate by the door I know we sort of cleared the air between us down in the kitchen, but it's still awkward for me. I don't want to ask but I really want her to hold me again at least until I fall back asleep. Sensing my hesitation Paige sits on the bed and opens her arms wide "Hastings how am I supposed to be a superhero and chase away the bad guys if you don't come over her."

"Yeah, yeah McCullers I'm coming. I wouldn't want to deprive you of being a superhero" I joke back grateful that she sensed what I needed and lightened the mood instead of making a big deal out of it. I crawl into bed and relax back between Paige and Emily. I lay my head on Paige's chest and she wraps her arms around my waist. Just like before I feel incredible safe and protected. "Paige" I whisper as my eyes start to get heavy.

"Yeah Spence"

"Thank you for making me feel safe."

"You're welcome now get some sleep"

"mmkay"


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors notes-** Thanks for all of the great reviews I am glad that you are all liking the story so far. I apologies for taking so long to get this chapter up I was having a really hard time writing it, but i got a few future chapters written so hopefully when they come it will make up for it. Let me know what you think of the story so far and what you would like to see in the future. All reviews are appreciated.

**Disclaimer-**I do not own any of these characters.

**-Spencer POV-**

Light from the room floods my eyes as the fog of sleep begins to lift. I shift slightly and smile as I feel Paige's arms tighten around me. Emily shifts behind me and starts rubbing my arm gently with the hand that was resting on my shoulder. The feeling is extremely comforting and nearly lulls me back to sleep. I force my eyes open and roll off of Paige as Emily's voice fills the room "good morning sleepy head."

I sit up between the two and lean back against the head board. "Good morning or should I say good afternoon" I reply as my eyes find the clock and I see that it is 10:30.

"Nah it's before noon so it's still morning" Paige jokes, although I know like me she is usually up well before 10 even on the weekends.

"How long have you two been up?" I ask rubbing the remaining sleep out of my eyes.

"A while" Paige replies as she looks at Emily and smiles.

"You should have wakened me or at least gotten up" I say with a frown "I don't want to keep you guys from your day."

"You're not keeping us from anything Spence" Emily replies lightly. "You needed the sleep and trust me we didn't mind the quality time. It was nice having an excuse to just lay in bed and talk."

"Okay if you say so" I respond suddenly feeling like I am interrupting an intimate moment. A sense of envy washes over me as I look between the two. I thought I had what they have, but now I don't know if I ever will.

Before I can get too in my head Emily jumps up from the bed "come on since we are all up I will make some pancakes for brunch!"

"Um or I can make them" Paige says trying to keep a scared look on her face. "I don't really want to die today and we are trying to cheer Spencer up not torture her."

"Paige" Emily whines. "One time, I screw up the pancakes one time and you just can't let it go! If I recall correctly it was your fault I messed them up anyway I mean you were being VERY distracting."

Unable to hold back Paige starts laughing hard and a blush covers her cheeks as she recalls just how distracting she was being. Paige's laughter is infectious and soon Emily and I are laughing with her. As the laughter dies down we head towards the kitchen and Emily starts pulling out all of the ingredients. I watch mesmerized as Emily sways gracefully around the kitchen and I can't help, but think about how beautiful she is. It has always amazed me how she can look so stunning wearing sweats with bedhead and no makeup. She is so flawlessly beautiful and she makes everything look gorgeous even making pancakes. Every move appears gentle and full of love and she makes you feel special just be looking at you. My gaze is broken suddenly when Paige walks behind Emily and kisses her gently on the nape of her neck. She then begins to clean up after Emily as she goes. I watch Paige as she starts doing dishes and I can't help but notice her beauty as well. Paige is gorgeous in a completely different way than Emily. She doesn't mesmerize you with grace or pull you in with an angelic smile, but she does command a room. Her movements are strong and filled with passion and purpose. Her beauty is natural and her style is sort of butch while her confidence and swagger make her unforgettable. When I first met Paige her confidence on the field was what initially intrigued me. Off the field though, the confidence wasn't there. At the time she was dressing feminine and while she was still beautiful the lack of confidence made it feel awkward and forced. Her closed off attitude made her in a way repulsive. Once she came out she found her style and her confidence and her natural beauty started to command a room. She is still so oblivious when it comes to her looks, but I think that has more to do with Emily. Girls are constantly looking at and flirting with Paige, but all she sees is Emily. I see the way Paige looks at Emily and I have no idea how I ever thought she was A and wanted to do her harm. If someone were to have told me that today I would have scoffed at them and told them that theory is asinine. They are so in love and they are perfect together a balance of soft and strong of masculine and feminine of mesmerizing and commanding.

Paige finishes the dishes and grabs some plates just as Emily finishes the pancakes and we all sit down to eat. The pancakes are delicious and our banter is relaxing. I am extremely grateful that neither of them are trying to make me talk about last night because honestly right now what I need is a distraction. I need to get my mind off everything so I can start to move on. I have been a victim long enough and with their help I know I will be able to move on. I will conquer dream Toby and in the end we will beat A and I will conquer the real Toby.

When we finish eating I insist on doing the rest of the dishes while Paige and Emily relax. We talk aimlessly for a while until Emily gets up and says "I think I am going to take a shower then Paige we can run by your house so you can change then Spence if it's alright with you we can go to your house and hang out for a while."

"Yeah that sounds like a great plan" I say as Paige nods in agreement. Before last night I would have felt uncomfortable being alone with Paige, but now I feel at ease around her. We make small talk for a while until I decide I need to thank her for last night. "Paige" I say shakily continuing when she looks at me "I just wanted to thank you for last night. I really appreciate what you did not just holding me, but for everything. The things you told me and the way you didn't make a big deal about any of it. Also thank you for not telling me it will be okay or that it will get better. I am so sick of people telling me it will be okay when I don't feel like it won't, but last night you didn't tell me it would be okay instead you made me feel like it will be okay. So thank you for everything."

When I finish Paige surprises me and wraps me in a tight hug "You are more than welcome Spencer." She pulls back with her hands on my shoulders "look I know you are a lot like me, very stubborn especially when it comes to asking for help so I am going to ask that you let me stay with you for at least another few nights. If you are totally opposed I won't push, but since it helped you sleep I figure it wouldn't hurt to make sure you got a few more good nights of sleep. That way you can regain your strength and get back to the sleuthing smart ass spencer we all know and love."

We both bust out laughing and I look at her gratefully "I would really appreciate that Paige. Thank you for not making me ask and for not making it awkward."

"No problem" she says with a genuine smile. "Now what do you say we go hunt down Emily and see what's taking her so long."

"Yeah okay" I giggle as I follow her up the stairs towards Emily's room.

When we reach Emily's room Paige stops in the door way and starts laughing "geez Em a bit presumptuous packing a bag who said we were inviting you to our little sleep over."

Emily mocked offense, but before she could respond I add "Yeah Em maybe I wanted your girlfriend all to myself."

Emily's mouth dropped and a genuine look of surprise appeared. Paige burst out laughing at her response and I couldn't help but join in. When I finally got my laughter under control I turned to Emily and wrapped her up in a hug "relax Em I would love it if you would stay with me too. I probably don't say this often enough, but I don't know what I would do without you. You are my best friend and the only reason I have not fallen apart completely is because you have been at my side through it all. So thank you and thank you for loaning me your girlfriend she makes a really good big spoon."

Emily tightens the hug for a second then lets go and looks at Paige "Yeah she does doesn't she." She smiles and then looks back at me "and Spence you have been there for me too. It's what best friends do we will always be there for each other no matter what."

"Yeah no matter what" I reply as I fight back a few tears. I really believe her when she says always and it overjoys me to know that no matter what happens my friends are my constant and they will always pick me up when I fall.

I smile at both of them then Paige grabs Emily's bag and says "Okay now that that's settled how about we get going. The sooner we get to Spencer's the sooner this slumber party can begin."

"Alright let me just go tell my mom and we will be on our way" Emily says as she bounds down the stairs.

**-Paige POV-**

We get to my house and I am glad to see only my mom's car in the driveway. My dad accepts me for who I am but things are still tense with him. He wants me to be happy, but he doesn't agree with it so he compensates by trying to control what he can. What he can control is my school and my training and the fact that I missed my morning run would not go over well with him. As we walk into my house I hear my mom call out from the kitchen "Paige honey is that you?"

"Yeah mom Emily and Spencer are here too" I shout out hoping to get upstairs before she comes out and starts pestering them. My mom loves Emily and at times she tries to overcompensate for my less than welcoming father.

Just as we reach the stairs my mom stops us "Paige don't be rude I don't think I have formally met Spencer so why don't you introduce us."

"Fine" I groan "mom this is Spencer Hastings, Spencer this is my mom."

"It's nice to meet you Mrs. McCullers" Spencer says as she shakes my mom's hand.

"You too Spencer, so Paige said you had a rough night are you feeling better?"

"Mom" I groan trying to get her to stop.

Spencer laughs and responds "Yes Mrs. McCullers I feel great Paige really helped me last night."

"Good I'm glad she was able to help! So what are you girls up to today?"

"We are probably going to just hang out at Spencer's" I say as I turn towards Emily "why don't you take Spence up to my room and I will be up in a minute."

"Okay come on Spence" she says as she turned towards the stairs.

Once they are in my room I turn back to my mom "Mom do you think it would be okay if I stayed with Spencer for a few days? I know some of the days will be school days and I promise I won't let it affect school or my training I will still run every morning and do all my homework and"

"Paige honey, calm down its fine as long as she needs you, you can stay with her. I will talk to your dad about it and assure him you will stick to your training so he doesn't throw a fit. We can talk if you want when you get back okay."

"Okay thanks mom I love you."

"I love you too. Now go join the girls."

"Alright" I say as I head up the stairs and into my room.

"Hey Paige everything okay" Emily asks when she sees me.

"Yeah it's great I am going to jump in the shower real quick and pack a bag then we can head out okay?"

"Okay be quick" Emily says with a smile.

After my shower I quickly pack my bag and we head to Spenser's. Once we get there Spencer leads us up to her room where we will hang out until she returns from her shower. "Thank you for doing this" Emily says once Spencer leaves.

"It's not a problem Em. I know how important your friends are to you so I will do anything I can to help them and don't tell her this, but I have always liked Spencer. Sure we butt heads a lot but she is a really cool person and I don't mind spending time with her especially if you are there."

"Okay I won't tell anyone that you like her or that you're a big softie wouldn't want to ruin your reputation around town" Emily jokes

We both laugh and relax until Spencer gets back. We spend the rest of the afternoon watching movies and when dinner time rolls around we order some pizza. It's only Saturday, but once 10:30 rolls around we decide to head to bed rather than stay up late. As we are getting ready I turn to the girls "Before we go to bed I just want to let you guys know I am going to go for a run in the morning so don't freak out if I'm not here when you wake up."

"Okay" Emily says well aware of my normal morning routine.

"Paige, do you think I could go with you?" Spencer asks hesitantly. Before I can answer she continues "I don't have to its just I used to run with Toby so I haven't gone in a while and I want to get back into it."

"Yeah Spence it's fine if you're ready to get your butt kicked I will gladly drag you along." I tease.

"Cocky much" Spencer replies "You may be surprised tomorrow when you end up eating my dust McCullers."

"Yeah we will just have to see about that Hastings. I will wake you when I get up probably around 7 okay."

"Sounds good! Now let's get to bed, you are going to need your beauty rest if you expect to beat me" Spencer jokes.

We all laugh and continue getting ready while Spencer and I continue to tease each other. Once we are all ready I climb in the bed and hold my arms out for Spencer. Without saying anything she cuddles into me and rests her head on my chest. Emily pulls the covers over us and kisses me briefly before getting onto the bed and curling protectively into Spencer. "Good night guys thanks for being here" Spencer says sleepily.

"Good night" Emily and I say in unison.


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors Notes- **I want to thank everyone who is reading my story and especially those of you who are posting reviews. The positive feedback is really greatly appreciated. I hope you like this chapter I feel like it's a bit rough but I wanted to get it up as soon as possible. Feel free to leave a review and share any ideas you want to see happen feedback is always encouraging.

**Disclaimer- **I do not own any of the characters

**-Spencer POV-**

A soft hand gently shaking my shoulder rouses me from sleep. My eyes flutter open and when they adjust to the light I see Paige smiling down at me. "Hey Spencer I am going to go for my run now if you still want to join me."

"Yeah definitely" I say as I roll out of bed careful to not wake Emily. "Just let me get dressed and then I will be ready to kick your butt McCullers."

Paige laughs and rolls her eyes "you keep thinking that Hastings, but don't be too bummed when I wipe the floor with you." Walking towards the door Paige looks over her shoulder and adds "I will be waiting for you on the porch."

"Alright see you out there" I say as I head towards the bathroom.

Once I am dressed I grab some waters from the kitchen and head outside where Paige is already stretching. I toss one of the waters to her and start stretching myself. As I finish stretching Paige smiles at me and asks "you ready Hastings?"

"Absolutely" I reply excitedly.

"Alright let's go then! Do you have a specific route you prefer?"

"Nope take me on one of your routes McCullers so I can show you up and you can't blame it on an advantage of knowing the terrain" I Tease.

"Okay Hastings, but no complaining if it's too hard for you" she says with a playful shove to my shoulder.

We start off with a slow jog down the side walk and after a while I turn towards her and laugh "I thought you were going to challenge me McCullers? What is this we are practically walking right now?"

"Patients Hastings this is just the warm up. You are going to want to be nice and warm once we reach the trail. We wouldn't want you pulling something while you are trying to chase me down."

"Thanks for your concern McCullers, but it is you who will be chasing me down."

We both laugh and fall into a comfortable silence as we continue to jog. After a few blocks Paige turns into the park and we head off on one of the many running trails. As soon as we are on the trail Paige picks up the pace and I smile. I can feel the push in my legs and the low burn in my lungs and I know a clear mind is soon to follow. Looking towards Paige I break the silence "now that's more like it McCullers."

Paige laughs and shakes her head then speeds up a bit more until we find a pace that seems comfortable for both of us. I let the run clear my mind and sigh contentedly. I have always loved the clarity running gives me and today is no different. With my mind clear I feel free. Free of my thoughts, free of my worries, free of my heart-break, free of everything for the first time in weeks. I glance over at Paige and the look on her face tells me she is feeling the same way relaxed and carefree.

As a deep burn begins to build in my legs I start to focus on the path to see where we are. We have been running for a while so we are probably near the end and I want to be ready to leave Paige in the dust when I sprint to the finish. We are not on a path that I usually run, but most of the paths merge towards the end or loop back around. We pass another trail that merges with our path and suddenly the area becomes very familiar. My heart starts to race as I realize this is now part of the trail Toby and I used to run on. My eyes start darting around the path and breathing becomes difficult. I start to panic and my mind is filled with thoughts of Toby lying in wait ready to attack me. I force myself to focus enough to run faster and start to pull ahead of Paige. She must notice something is wrong because I hear her call out to me "Spencer what's wrong? Breath Spencer, just slow down and breath."

Paige's voice starts fading out and soon all I can here is the rush of blood pumping in my ears. I don't slow down, I can't slow down. I need to get back to the street and I know we are close so I push harder. Suddenly something grabs my foot and I go flying forward crying out in pain as my knees scrape against the hard ground. Panic takes over and I start flailing and yelling "No" in the hopes of warding off my attacker. My attempts are futile and soon I feel arms tighten around me restraining my arms. I know he has gotten to me and I cry out defeated "no Toby please don't hurt me."

The arms around me loosen and a hand starts rubbing my back. Something in my brain kicks in and I realize something is not right the arms around me are strong, but they are also soft they are not trying to hurt me, but rather calm and protect me. As I remember where I am and who I am with I realize it's not Toby, but rather Paige who is wrapped around me. I stop resisting and try to calm my breathing. As the pounding of my heart quiets I can hear Paige reassuring me "shh Spencer it's okay you're okay. It's just me you just tripped on a root. It's okay just breath, just breath."

She keeps repeating her words until she sees that I have calmed down at which point she pulls me into her lap. While rubbing my back she starts to rock me gently. Tears well up in my eyes and I let them flow clinging to Paige who hold me tight. When my tears finally stop I wipe away the tear trails and look up at Paige with a weak smile. "Thank you" I whisper "I'm sorry I ruined your run."

"Hey don't apologize you didn't ruin anything" she says sternly as she turns my head so my eyes meet hers. "Let's get out of the middle of the path and make sure you are okay" she says as she gets up with me still in her arms. She walks over to a large tree and sets me down gently leaning me against it then she crouches down and starts looking me over. "Nothing looks broken and aside from the scrapes on your knees nothing is bleeding. Do you hurt anywhere else?"

"My ankle is a little sore and my head hurts a little" I say as I raise my hand to touch the tender spot on the back of my head.

"Hmmm" she hums as she runs her hand delicately through my hair "you have a little bump so we will have to keep an eye on you make sure it's not a concussion."

"Okay" I sigh leaning my head back against the tree as Paige moves her hands to my ankle. She starts carefully moving it around and I get the feeling she has had plenty of experience with sprained ankles.

After taking my ankle through its range of motions with only a bit of discomfort she smiles "and your ankle doesn't seem to be sprained probably just bruised from where it hit the root." Paige leans back and wraps and arm around my shoulder squeezing it reassuringly. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asks hesitantly.

I sigh and take a breath. I don't really want to talk about it, but I at least owe Paige an explanation. I need to just open up and trust her with my fears. Closing my eyes I exhale and give in "I panicked" I say shakily. "I was running my mind was clear and I was free until the trails merged and I realized this is part of the route Toby and I used to run. I couldn't stop thinking that he was here and he was going to attack me. The last time I tried to move on he tried to hurt me he locked me in my steam room and here I am trying to move on again so I was sure he was going to hurt me. I freaked out and when I tripped I thought he was after me. I thought he was the one that grabbed me. I should have known it was you but"

"No" Paige cuts me off "I shouldn't have grabbed you when you were clearly freaking out, but I was afraid you would hurt yourself the way you were thrashing so I just"

"Paige" I say cutting her off this time "don't, you did everything right. It was your arms around me that made me realize that he wasn't here and that I was okay. You made me feel safe, you always make me feel safe so thank you."

"You're welcome Spencer. I want you to know you don't need to worry I will keep you safe I won't let Toby get to you and if you want to we can keep running through here and I will help you get this spot back. I know it's hard and you're scared, but you aren't alone Emily and I are here for you. We will stay with you as long as you need. We will get you through this together." Paige squeezes my shoulder then turns my head so I am looking at her again "together okay how does that sound?"

I chuckle a little in relief then reply "together yeah that sounds good."

We sit against the tree in a comfortable silence until Paige jumps up and reaches out her hand "come on lets head back we don't want Emily to start worrying."

I nod my head in agreement and take her hand as she pulls me up. I wince a bit as I put my weight on my ankle so Paige wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me close. I wrap my arm around her shoulder to take off some of the pressure and Paige smiles knowingly. She knows that I trust her and that I am willing to let her help me rather than being stubborn. Before long we reach my house and Paige helps me up the stairs to my room. When I open the door I see Emily sitting up against the head-board with her laptop resting on her thighs. She turns towards us with a smile. "How was your oh my God Spence what happened are you okay" she shrieks as she takes in my appearance.

I chuckle as she rushes towards me and wraps me in a hug "I'm fine I just tripped it was nothing, but I feel disgusting so I am going to go take a shower."

"Alright if you're sure you're okay" she says relaxing a bit.

"I'm alright I promise" I reply as I gather up some clothes. "I will be back in a bit" I say as I head for the bathroom. I meant it when I said I was alright. I actually feel good about my situation for the first time in a long time. I'm glad I opened up to Paige because she made me realize that I am not alone. Sure I have had my friends through it all, but I still felt alone. Paige helped understand that I was alone because I closed myself off, but if I let them in I won't be alone. With their help I know I will be okay.

**-Paige POV-**

As soon as Spencer leaves the room Emily turns to me "is she really okay?"

I smile to reassure her "physically she is fine just some scraped knees and a bump on the head. Emotionally she will be. She had a panic attack and tripped, but we talked about it and she is going to let us help her. Together we will get her to okay. Actually we will get her to great! Don't worry too much just be there for her if she wants to talk."

Emily wraps me in a tight hug with tears in her eyes "Thank you Paige you are amazing. You're right we will get her to great. With your help we will get her to better than great. I love you Paige."

"I love you too Em" I whisper in her ear as I tighten our embrace. I pull back slightly and capture Emil's lips in mine. The kiss is soft, but filled with emotion. Before it can deepen I pull away and a look of disappointment crosses Emily's face. I laugh lightly and smile "As much as I would love to continue that Spencer will be back any minute and I need a shower."

"So its just Spencer" Emily whines "and I love it when you are all sweaty after a run it's sexy." A light blush covers my cheeks and Emily pulls me back to her kissing me hard. Almost immediately she runs her tongue along my bottom lip asking for permission. I grant her access without hesitation because let's face it I can never say no to Emily. As our tongues battle for dominance I tangle one of my hands in her hair while the other snakes under her shirt and runs up her back. Emily shudders at the contact and bring one of her hands up to cup my neck. Her other hand finds its way to my stomach. I move the battle into Emily's mouth and bite her bottom lip gently eliciting a moan that sends a shock of electricity through my body. Breathless I pull away again and lean my forehead against hers. I feel Emily shake her head before she sighs "mmh okay you are right if we start we won't be able to stop."

I laugh lightly and give her a chaste kiss before I pull away completely. I know if I don't separate us we will end up kissing again and like Emily said if we start we won't be able to stop and that is not something Spencer needs to walk in on right now. As I am gathering clothes to change into Spencer comes back into the room smiling. "Hey how's your head?" I ask as I walk over to check the bump.

"It's good a little tender to the touch, but no headache or anything so I probably don't have a concussion."

"Good, well the bump is smaller so that's a good sign you're right probable not a concussion."

"So what do you guys want to do today?" Spencer asks.

"Well we could go down to the Brew and get some coffee then meet up with the girls and head to the park" Emily suggests.

Nervously Spencer responds "Yeah that sounds good, but do you think it could just be us? I know Hanna and Aria mean well, but all the questions and reassurances I just don't think I can handle that right now."

"Yeah that's fine Spence besides I'm sure they are probably busy with their boy drama anyways it will be way more fun just the three of us. Paige you go shower I will get changed and then we can go spend a day at the park."

We all agree and I head towards the bathroom. Spencer handed me a towel and squeezed her arm reassuringly and thanked her. Once I am showered and changed we head to the Brew grab some coffee then walk to the park. We find a nice spot under the shade of a large tree and sit while drinking our coffee and talking. Emily and I keep the conversation light and Spencer seems to be genuinely enjoying herself. Her laughter is almost as mesmerizing as Emily's so I make it a point to make them both laugh as much as possible. Our banter continues until lunch time at which point we decide to stop by the Apple Rose Grill. While we eat I continue to ham it up and keep Emily and Spencer laughing basically the whole time. When we finish lunch we decide to walk around for a bit then we head back to Spencer's to finish up our homework for school tomorrow.

Hanging out with Spencer while doing homework actually turned out to be beneficial. Normally when Emily is around I can't focus, but Spencer really kept me on track plus she helped me understand the trig I had been struggling with. The way Spencer explained it, it all made sense which actually frustrates me. If my teacher would have just explained it well in the first place my grade wouldn't have slipped and I wouldn't have been benched for that swim meet. As I finish up my last problem I turn to Spencer "thank you so much for your help Spencer. I can't believe it's really that easy my teacher makes it seem like an impossibly complicated task. I can't believe I missed a meet and struggled with it for so long!"

"No problem Paige it's the least I can do. I know Mr. Newhouse is impossible to understand so feel free to ask me if you don't understand something in the future."

"Yeah I will for sure I don't want to end up missing anymore meets especially now that I know how easy it can be."

As we pack up our school stuff Spencer and I decide to make dinner and we head to the kitchen. We manage to whip up some herb baked chicken with brown rice and steamed vegetables. Emily helps me bring everything to the table while Spencer grabs drinks. Satisfied with our work we all sit down and start eating.

"Oh my God you guys this is amazing" Emily gushes "you two should cook together more often especially if I get to eat it."

Spencer and I look at each other and we both smile "yeah sure Em Paige and I will have to get together every now and then to cook you a meal, but don't get used to it because there is no way this is happening all the time."

"Uhhh if I had my way it would seriously this is amazing."

"Thanks we're flattered" I say as Spencer and I laugh and shake our heads.

When we finish dinner we head back up to Spencer's room and settle on her bed to watch a movie. Spencer had insisted on a spot on the floor so Em and I could cuddle, but after a short argument she ends up snuggled in the middle. Spencer easily gave in when I argued that if she fell asleep she would be less likely to have a nightmare if she was in the middle and I wouldn't have to move her when we decided to go to bed. About 40 minutes into the movie I look over to see Spencer barely awake and Emily fast asleep on her shoulder so I carefully get up and turn off the TV and the lights then walk over to Emily's side of the bed. I gently help Spencer shift Emily down so that they are no longer sitting upright then I get in bed and let Spencer rest her hand on my chest. I set my alarm on my phone and place it on the bedside table then wrap my arms around Spencer.

"Paige can I go running with you again tomorrow?" Spencer asks quietly.

"Yeah Spencer I told you I was going to help you get that place back. Go to sleep and I will wake you in the morning."

"Thanks goodnight Paige"

"Good night Spence."


	5. Chapter 5

**Authors Notes- **Sorry this took so long to get up school has been crazy and my weekends have been super busy. I wanted to get it up so I have not done much revision sorry if it totally sucks. The next chapter will take a while since I have to write 2 papers and next week is finals week yay! As always your reviews are greatly appreciated. They really help me stay motivated to keep writing so keep them coming. Let me know your thoughts on the story so far and where you want to see it end up in the future. Thanks for all the follows and favorites and all the kind words.

**Disclaimer-**I don't own any of these awesome characters

**-Spencer POV-**

At 5:45 Paige gently wakes me up and we both silently roll out of bed and put on our running gear. After stretching on the porch we head off on the same route from yesterday's run. As we jog towards the trail Paige and I tease each other and Paige acts like a total goofball making me laugh nonstop. Once we reach the trail our pace picks up our chatter dies down and we fall into a peaceful silence. I let the run clear my mind and although I know what is coming I don't worry because I know Paige will keep me safe. Just as the burn in my legs starts to set in and I know we are nearing the familiar trail Paige slows down. I look at her curiously as we both begin to run in place. Before I can question her Paige says "we are almost to where the trails merge so I thought I would see how you are doing and tell you my plan."

A wide smile crosses my face. Of course she has a plan she is so adorable especially when she is trying to act like a hero. "I am great. I was a little nervous at the beginning, but I know you will keep me safe so it's not really a big deal."

"Good" she replies enthusiastically "so basically if you are okay with it I figured we could just jog the rest of the trail so you can look around and take in the sight. You can turn it from bad to good and take Toby out of the picture. Also I figured you should hold my hand that way I can keep you grounded and keep you from running off again."

As she finishes a light blush covers her cheeks and she looks down. I have a feeling that Emily probably told her to hold my hand and I am glad she did because it seems like the perfect way to keep me calm. Before she can get too embarrassed I smile and grab her hand "yeah that sounds great let's go."

Paige squeezes my hand reassuringly then we jog down the path. Although my heart rate quickens when we reach the familiar part of the path my mind stays fairly calm. As I look around I still see a mess of hiding spots perfect for attacking me, but with Paige's hand wrapped firmly around mine I can also see the beautiful, peaceful calm of nature. When we hit the end of the path and end up back on the sidewalk Paige squeezes my hand one last time then let's go. Smirking she turns to me "race you to your door?"

"It's on McCullers" I reply as we both take off at a sprint.

I reach my door panting about 5 seconds after Paige. As I try to catch my breath I realize Paige isn't even winded and she is smirking. She shoves my shoulder gently and taunts "hey Hastings how was my dust? Did you enjoy eating it?"

"Cocky much" I reply with a shove back "just you wait McCullers once I get back in shape you will be begging me to slow down just so you can catch up."

Paige laughs and shakes her head "sure I will Hastings sure I will. Come on let's go get ready we wouldn't want to be late for school."

I smile at her then we head upstairs to get ready for the day. Once we are ready all three of us pile into Emily's car and we head to school.

**-Emily POV-**

When we get to school Paige and Spencer are goofing around and laughing like crazy. It is a sight I am quickly getting used to seeing and I love it. It's such a relief to see them finally getting along rather than constantly butting heads often over protecting me. I was afraid for a while that their similar personality was going to result in a barely civil relationship just for my sake. This though, this is so much better. When we get to school I see Hanna and Aria waiting by the front steps and when they see us confusion flashes across their faces. Spence and Paige are walking behind me being goobers and when I reach the girls Hanna cocks her head and asks "What the hell is going on? Did hell like freeze over or something?"

"Long story I will tell you about it in a minute" I say as I turn towards Paige. "Hey babe do you think you could go grab me some coffee? And take Spencer with you I'm sure she could use another cup or twelve."

"Yeah no problem we will be right back" she says giving me a quick kiss then leaving with Spencer."

I turn back towards the girls and laugh when I see Hanna with her arms crossed over her chest. "Well" she says impatiently.

"Well" I reply "The other day Spencer came to my house, but I was out grabbing food and Paige was there so she ended up taking care of Spencer. I don't know what they said to each other, but I guess they worked out their differences and now they are like practically best friends. Paige makes Spencer feel safe so we are staying with her for a while till she is back to her normal self or as normal as she can get after this."

"Wow who would have thought Spencer and Paige friends" laughs Hanna.

"Yeah I know I am ecstatic about it! No more stand offs between them well at least none that will lead to issues between all of us" I joke.

"It's definitely good to see Spencer smiling again that's for sure" Aria says with a sigh of relief "I was really getting worried about her."

"Yeah me too" I say with a sad smile. "Look about Spencer I know you guys are concerned, but I need you guys to just act normal around her. Don't make a big deal out of her situation or how she is feeling. Don't ask her how she is and especially don't tell her it's going to be okay or it's going to get better. She is having a very hard time with everyone telling her it's going to be okay like she should be able to just get over it. We need to show her that nothing has changed between us that we will always be there for her and that what she is feeling is okay. If we are here for her like that she will talk about it when she is ready okay."

"Yeah Em don't worry about it we won't say anything we will just be here" Aria says while Hanna nods in agreement.

After a few minutes we see Spencer and Paige coming back. They are both laughing and Spencer is hugging her coffee like someone is going to steal it. When they reach us Paige hands me my coffee and the look on her face makes me laugh "Paige why are you trying to look all innocent? What did you do?"

Before she could respond Spencer huffs "Your girlfriend killed my coffee!"

"What I did not! I barely nudged you it's not my fault you can't hold onto your cup."

"Barely nudged me? You practically shoved me across the room!"

"I did no such thing! Besides I got you a new one so no harm done."

"Yeah you're just lucky it went all over the floor and not all over me otherwise I would have had to kick your butt McCullers."

"Ha like you kick my butt Hastings you're like a twig!"

"Oh it's on McCullers it is so on!"

"Okay you two knock it off! We need to get to class now" I say shaking my head as I shove them both and turn towards the door.

"Wow those two are just… wow" Hanna says as she follows me into the building.

"Yeah they are something else. I don't know what I'm going to do with them." I joke. It really makes my heart burst with joy to see them like this. Two of the people I love the most finally getting along no more than getting along. Even their bantering is like they have been friends for years instead of practically mortal enemies.

School goes by relatively fast. At lunch Spencer and Paige are total goofballs and keep us laughing the whole time. After school Paige and I head to swim practice and Spencer hangs out at the library. When we finish at the pool we grab Spencer and head back to her house and we do our homework. For dinner Spencer and Paige whip up a quick stir fry. After we eat we hang out until bed time at which point we cuddle into Spencer and drift off to sleep.

**-Spencer POV- **

The next few days passed very much the same. Paige and I get up early for our run and when the trails merge she holds my hand through the end of the trail. We race back to my house once we hit the sidewalk. Paige beats me every time, but by Friday it's by barely a second. We go to school and have lunch with the girls then after school Paige and Emily go to practice while I go to the library or one of my many club meetings. The only part of our routine that changes is where we stay. After a few nights at my house we go back to Emily's house for a few nights. I love staying at Emily's because it feels so much more like a home than my house. Emily's mom is so loving and caring and she is actually there. My parents are always working late or away on business and while the freedom is nice every now and then it feels like they don't care. Sometimes I wish I had an involved mom like Emily's especially at times like now when I am hurting. It's really great to go to Emily's and get a genuine welcoming "mom" hug. Emily's room is also a lot easier to be in than mine. In her room there are no reminders of Toby unlike my room where he is everywhere. With Paige and Emily there I can look past most of it and see the good times, but it's still nice to be able to go to Emily's and not have to look past anything. Every night I sleep peacefully in Paige's arms with Emily snuggled into my back and every morning I wake up feeling safe and cared for.

By Friday I actually feel pretty great so I suggest a sleepover with the girls at my house since my parents are away for the weekend. When we get done at school Paige Emily and I go to the movie store and rent some movies then we head to my house to get ready. Hanna and Aria arrive at 6 and we order some pizza for dinner. While we eat I can't help but smile at the return of our dynamic. This feels like one of our old sleepovers the ones before all the A drama and I love it. The only difference is the addition of Paige, but honestly she makes it better. She is like a missing piece of our group and I can't believe I didn't see it sooner. I can't believe I didn't let myself see the real her when she finally showed herself to us.

When we decide to watch the movies we bring a mess of blankets and pillows to my room and curl up on the floor. Paige and Emily are cuddled up and I find myself watching them more than I probably should. I find myself having a mixture of feelings that I don't really understand. Of course it makes me happy to see them together. They are both so happy and in love and that makes me feel all mushy inside, but I also feel something else. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but it feels a lot like jealousy. I shouldn't be jealous and I don't really want to think about it so I just chalk it up to being jealous of their happiness when I am so hurt and alone. Deep down I know it's because I want to be in the middle cuddling with them. These last several days have brought up a lot of feelings I thought I had gotten rid of, but apparently they were only buried. I am jealous because I want to feel the love they have for each other directed at me. Shaking my head I try to clear my thoughts and focus on the movie, but no matter how hard I try my mind and my eyes keep drifting back to them.

When the movie finishes I need a minute alone to really collect my thoughts so I start gathering up the trash and dishes. Of course Paige insists on helping, but I know she will give me the space I need so her and I head to the kitchen. I decide to do the dishes hoping it will help clear my head and Paige silently starts to dry what I have washed. As I try to sort through my thoughts and feelings one thing is for sure what I want deep down won't ever happen so I need to start distancing myself. I need to become more reliant on myself and stop spending so much time with Paige and Emily that way I can bury everything again and move on with someone I can actually have.

Tonight is as good as any to start so I gather my thoughts. "Paige" I say quietly breaking the silence.

"Yeah Spence what's up?"

"Well I was thinking since I am feeling pretty good that tonight I could try sleeping by myself."

"Are you sure" Paige says with concern etched on her face. "You don't need to rush it Em and I are more than happy to keep sleeping with you and if you are worried about Hanna and Aria they will understand."

"No Paige it's just I think I am ready and with everyone here I think it's the perfect time to try. If I can't sleep or the dreams come back I will wake you up so you can help okay? I really think I am ready."

"Okay Spence if you think you're ready" Paige says with a sigh "but you be sure and wake me if you need me okay? Don't be stubborn!"

"I won't Paige I promise."

"Good" Paige says as she gives me a reassuring hug.

We finish up the dishes then we head upstairs to rejoin the girls. When we get to my room we find Hanna and Aria asleep on a makeshift bed on the floor and Emily barely awake on the bed. Paige and I get ready for bed them I grab some blankets and pillows and make up a bed on the floor beside my bed. Paige crawls into bed and cuddles into Emily explaining why I am sleeping on the floor. After a bit of hesitation Emily agrees and we say goodnight.

I find myself lying awake much longer than I normally do when wrapped in Paige's arms which unfortunately allows my mind to wander. I try not to think about Paige or Emily or the jealousy I felt earlier, but at night with no distractions that's hard to do. When it comes to Em I know my feelings towards her have always been beyond friendship, but our close relationship was always enough for me. I think that had a lot to do with the fact that we were both always dating someone and I never wanted to risk our friendship so I never said anything. I have always known I was attracted to women as well as men and when Em came out I wanted to tell her just so she would feel more normal, but I didn't want things between us to get awkward so I figured I just wouldn't say anything unless I ended up dating a girl. I never really thought about being more than friends with Emily well at least not consciously, but recently I can't help it especially at night in my dreams. It should make me feel bad because Em is with Paige and Paige has been my savior, but I don't because it's not just Emily I think about. The minute I met Paige I was physically attracted to her, but I was put off by her attitude so I ignored it. Now that I know the real her I find myself equally attracted to her personality. All this time spent with her and the way she takes care of me the way she gets me and makes me feel safe it's all making my feelings surface quickly. Both Paige and Emily have taken over my dreams and as hard as I try to ignore them and forget them when my mind has time to wander they are hard to suppress. It's hard but I still try and eventually I fall asleep thinking of them of course.

**-Paige POV-**

I am hesitant to let Spencer sleep on her own, but she thinks she is ready so I have to let her. I know her and if she thinks I am treating her like a child she will pull away so I have to trust her to know when it's the right time and be there for her if she is wrong. I care about her a lot so I will step aside and keep a watchful eye over her. When I get into bed I make sure I can see Spencer from where I am. I know she can be stubborn and she will be hesitant to wake me so I will try my best to sleep lightly. I listen to Spencer toss and turn for a while and I can tell she is having trouble falling asleep. Eventually her breathing evens out and all I can do is hope she has a peaceful night's sleep. When I am sure she is asleep I allow myself to sleep as well.

A soft whimper rouses me from my sleep about an hour and a half later. I look down at Spencer and see her trashing in her sleep. Her whimpers become louder and soon she starts quietly crying out "No Toby not them don't hurt them!"

I quickly untangle myself from Emily and go to Spencer. I don't want to scare her so I gently shake her shoulder and use my voice to wake her. "Spencer wake up! Spence its Paige your just dreaming you are safe here with me come on wake up. We are safe we are all safe you are here with us Toby isn't here Spence wake up I won't let him hurt you!"

Slowly Spencer stops thrashing then her eyes shoot open. She focuses on me and opens her mouth to speak, but before any words get out she is racked with sobs. I wrap her arms around my neck then scoop her up into my arms and carry her to the bed. Emily must have woken up when I got up because she is sitting up watching us with worry. When I get to the bed Emily pulls down the covers and I climb in holding Spencer close to my chest. Em covers us up then scoots in close and starts rubbing Spencer's back.

Eventually Spencer's sobs die down and she wipes the tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry" she whispers dejectedly.

"Hey there is nothing to be sorry about Spence you did nothing wrong" I say sternly.

"It's just I told you I was ready and then I ended up waking you both and sobbing like some pathetic victim" she whimpers.

"Spence you are not being pathetic" Emily says harshly then in a softer voice adds "you are a victim and its okay to feel how you are feeling. Toby hurt you physically and emotionally so it's going to take some time to get past this. It's okay to cry, it's okay to scream, and it's even okay to think you're ready and be wrong. We are here for you however you need us. Whether that means holding you while you sleep or waking up with you when a nightmare comes it doesn't matter. What matters is that eventually you will get better and we will help you to get there any way we can. You did nothing wrong okay."

"Okay" Spencer sighs.

"Good! Now do you want to talk about it?" Emily asks quickly adding "you don't have to we can just go to sleep if you prefer."

"No I just… it was just a bad dream. I was with you guys and then all of a sudden Toby was torturing you and making me watch. Normally in my dreams he only attacks me and Paige stops him, but she couldn't stop him this time because he had her too. I couldn't stop him and I couldn't wake myself up and I just I was so scared. Then Paige woke me up and I was just so relieved that you guys were okay. I let Toby into our group and I gave him a way to hurt all of us. I'm so afraid he is going to use me to hurt you all and there is nothing I can do to stop him."

When Spencer finishes I tighten my hold on her to reassure her that she is safe and Emily sits up "Spence we are both here and we are both safe. This is not your fault. You didn't bring Toby in remember he was my friend first. He is the only one to blame for all of this he played us all! I know you're scared so trust me when I say we will keep each other safe. Together we will fight back. We won't let him use you or any of us to hurt anyone okay."

"Yeah it's just I really care about you both a lot and I am worried."

"It's okay to be worried" I add. "You are not being weak or pathetic if you worry. That is totally normal heck I worry all the time especially about the people I care about including you Spence. We both care about you and like Emily said together we will protect each other. As long as we communicate and be smart about everything we will be okay. Eventually this will end and I promise you we will come out on top. Together we will get through all of this crap and together we will heal."

"Yeah you're right" Spencer says with a small smile "thank you guys for everything. It really means a lot to have you guys here."

"It's our pleasure" I say softly kissing her forehead.

"Now how about we try and get some sleep" Emily adds as we shift into our normal sleeping position.

"Yeah goodnight and thanks again"

"Goodnight" Em and I say in unison then the tree of us drift off into a peaceful sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author Notes- **First let me apologize for my absence. Finals week was brutal and I have been in a bad place emotionally. I was having some writers block and I was in a really angsty place. I want this story to have a bit of angst, but not the kind that was coming out of my mind in the last few weeks. This chapter is kind of short and I'm not really happy with it, but its time I get up a new chapter so I'm not going to fret too much. I want to thank you for all the favorites and follows and all the kind words about my story. I had a few people ask about the dynamic so I want to make it clear this is a Spaily fic the end game is Paige Emily and Spencer. It has been focusing a lot on the McHastings dynamic, but that is more because the Spemily dynamic is already established. They were already best friends while Paige and Spencer were practically enemies so that dynamic really had to build. Once all of the feelings are developed I hope to have a story that is really balanced with the three legs of Spaily. Please review and tell me what you like and what you don't and what you want too see all of you input is greatly appreciated!

**Disclaimer-** I do not own any of these characters or the show if I did Spencer wouldn't have just forgiven Toby after one puppy dog look!

**-Emily POV-**

The flash of a camera and a groaned out "Hanna" wakes me the next morning. Once my eyes adjust to the light I look to the foot of the bed and see Hanna and Aria looking at us sheepishly. "Sorry I told her to leave you guys alone and go downstairs with me, but she insisted on getting a picture" Aria says shaking her head.

I look at Hanna with an annoyed glare and she just shrugs her shoulders. "What you guys look soooo cute how could I not. Now I have proof that big bad Paige and Spencer are just a couple of softies that love to cuddle."

"Hanna I told you not to make a big deal out of this come on" I growl.

"Oh please Em I am not making a big deal out of the situation I am making a big deal out of the cuteness! I know Spence is in a bad place and for some reason Paige helps. I'm not going to do anything to mess with her vulnerability it was just too cute of a moment to miss. You three look so cute cuddled together it's a memory we need recorded, a picture for the book of crappy situations that lead to great moments."

"Okay Han I get it I'm not mad I am just being protective."

"Good well me and Aria are going to go make some breakfast! Come down when the sleepy heads are awake." Hannah says excitedly.

"Aria and I" Spencer and Paige both groan as they disentangle themselves and sit up sleepily.

"Whatever," Hanna snarls while Aria and I laugh "Since you are up you guys can come down now and help."

"Yeah Hanna we will be down in a minute" I say as they turn to leave.

"What the hell was that about?" Paige asks slightly amused

"Oh just Hanna being Hanna" I reply with a chuckle.

"Did she take a picture of us?" spencer asks rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Yeah, she said we all looked too cute together not too. Plus she wanted proof that you two are just a bunch of softies" I joke.

"Hey" Paige protests "Just because I cuddle doesn't mean I'm not still a bad ass to be feared! She better not try and ruin my reputation."

"Yeah same here" Spencer insists

"Oh don't worry no reputations will be ruined everyone already knows your both softies anyways" I say as I leave the room laughing.

"Rude" I hear Spencer say as I head down the stairs into the kitchen.

When I get in the kitchen I see Hanna grumbling as she cleans several eggs off the floor. Aria is at the stove cooking and laughing. I raise my eyebrow and laugh, "don't ask" Hannah huffs.

"Ask away" Aria smirks "Hanna here thought she was some kind of wonder chef and flipped a few eggs right on the floor. I had to forcefully take over otherwise there would be no breakfast."

"Oh come on I wouldn't have done it twice gosh you're so mean!"

"You know I'm just teasing Hanna. Now come on let's eat" Aria says as she carries the food to the table. Just then Paige and Spencer enter the kitchen both of them grumpy and looking for coffee. Once they both had a cup of coffee and some food in their system the banter began and they amused us for the rest of breakfast.

While they were goofing off I turned to the girls "So Hanna Aria any plans for the rest of the day?"

"I've got a date with Ezra" Aria replies with a beaming smile.

"I don't have any plans" Hanna says with a frown "Caleb is busy so I'm on my own."

"Well you and Spence should do something! I was thinking about taking Paige to get in a swim practice so you can keep her company while we are gone."

Spencer was now looking at me with a scowl "Em I don't need a babysitter I can be on my own for a few hours I'm not a child!"

"No Spence I know you're not a child I'm sorry I know you don't need to be babysat it's just you have been spending a lot of time with us so I figured while we were gone since Hanna didn't have anything to do you guys could have some one on one time. I just thought it would be more fun than hanging out alone, but I mean if you would prefer some alone time that's fine it's totally up to you."

"No guys I'm sorry" Spencer sighs rubbing her neck "Hanna if you want to I would love to hang out. I just don't want you guys thinking I always need someone around. I don't want to be a burden on you anymore than I already am."

"I would love to hang out Spence its way better than sitting at home bored wishing Caleb was there. So not a burden!"

"Yeah Spence you are not a burden at all. We know you don't need us around all the time, but honestly we enjoy it."

"Exactly you are an awesome person and I need to make up for all that time we were mortal enemies" Paige says with a wink. "Plus it gives me an excuse to hang with Em all the time and have sleepovers! On a school night!" she squeals excitedly. "Seriously I went from only having had two sleepovers my whole life to having one everyday its frickin awesome! And I have a running partner now! Even though I kick your ass every time you still keep me on my toes and"

"Okay, okay I get it I'm awesome and you want to spend all of your time with me geesh I give up you win" Spencer says throwing her hands up in surrender as we all burst out laughing.

It amazes me how Paige can always diffuse a tense situation and leave us all laughing. She is such an amazing person and it makes me sad to think about how she had to hide who she was for so long. Not only did she hide who she was, but she was made to feel like who she was, was worthless. It breaks my heart that she still feels unworthy sometimes and now that I know about the destructive nature of her past self-hatred issues I have come to admirer her even more. The way that she overcame it all amazes me. Her fighting spirit pulled her through the torment of Alison and despite all the oppression from her father she still gathered the courage to reach out to me. Her fear could have kept her in the closet forever and it didn't help that I bailed on her. I promised her that I would be there for her. I was the one person she could finally be herself around and then I broke my promise and wasn't there. She showed her true strength when she overcame all of her fears alone. She fought for herself and she won and I love everything about the real her. Especially the way she takes care of people. All you need is a hug from her and you know that everything will be okay. Seeing how she overcame everything makes you believe you can overcome anything especially if she is in your corner.

After breakfast we say goodbye to the girls and Paige and I grab our gear and head to the pool. As captain Paige has keys for the school so we decided the school pool would be our best bet for an actual swimming workout. Our time with Spencer has been great, but it has not left us with a lot of alone time. It is getting frustrating being so close to Paige all the time without being able to be with her. Helping Spencer is worth it, but I need some relief and it doesn't help that Paige is standing right next to me shirtless and sexy as hell. Since we took that next step in our relationship I have been craving her touch and the intimacy that comes with it.

Seeing her bare stomach is too much for my hormones to handle so I walk up behind Paige and gently kiss her neck sliding my arms around her stomach. Paige moans softly then turns towards me. "What are you doing?" she asks shakily as I continue to kiss her lightly along her neck.

"Nothing" I reply looking up at her deviously before returning my lips to her neck and gently sucking on her pulse point. Lightly I run my hand across her stomach just above her jeans and I feel her stomach ripple beneath my hand.

"Em" she moans "we are in the locker room. At school!"

"So" I growl as I kiss my way up to her lips "no one else is in here you know no one comes here on the weekend except us. I just gah I just want you so bad right now." Before she can respond I kiss her hard and demand immediate access with my tongue. Paige gives in and we kiss with a frantic need. As the kiss begins to heat up I grind my hips into Paige and run my hands up her sides. Paige stops my movements with her hands and slows down the kiss. I reluctantly let her pull away and groan in frustration.

Paige laughs and I glare at her "This is not funny Paige I have barely been able to kiss you all week let alone do more I need more this is getting ridiculous."

"I know Em I'm sorry I'm not saying we shouldn't, but I am saying not here. My folks are away this weekend which is why we came here instead so why don't we skip our swim today and go to my place for a while. Then you can do anything you want to me" she adds with a suggestive eyebrow raise.

"God yeeessss" I groan as I quickly gather my stuff and help Paige by throwing her stuff in her bag. "Hurry up" I whine as I bounce excitedly.

"Okay Em calm down I'm coming" she says as I take off towards the car.

**-Spencer POV-**

After Emily and Paige left Hanna and I decided to go for a late lunch and maybe do a bit of shopping. Once our plans we set I headed upstairs to take a shower and get ready. Last night's attempt to distance myself was a serious failure so it's time to come up with a plan to make it work. I figure a good place to start is during the day. I may need Paige and Emily during the night, but during the day I need to start distancing myself. I will start spending more time with the other girls and spend more time with my after school clubs. I will encourage Paige and Emily to spend more time together without me. These feelings are driving me crazy I cannot feel this way about my best friend and I sure as hell can't feel this way about her girlfriend. Right now I should be heart broken and devastated over Toby, but I am not. I don't think I have ever smiled or laughed this much even before Toby and it's all because of Paige and Emily. I need to distance myself because what I wish could happen with them never will.

After my shower I wait for Hanna to finish getting ready and then we head out for lunch. We order and Hanna starts rambling on about Caleb and school and shopping, but I can't seem to focus on her and my thoughts keep wandering back to Paige and Emily. I can't stop wondering where they are and what they are doing and even though I have no right I wish I was there and I feel almost jealous and this time it's not just because of the relationship. I feel jealous that I am not a part of the relationship not that I don't have a relationship anymore. This feeling is so ridiculous and wrong and it's driving me crazy.

I'm broken out of my thoughts by a hand waving in my face "Spence, hey Spence what's going on you're totally zoned out."

"Hmm sorry I didn't mean to what were you saying?"

"It's not important Spencer what's up with you? You have been off all day you can talk to me about anything you know that right?"

"I'm fine Hanna It's nothing I'm just tired."

"Come on Spence I can tell something is bothering you what is it? Is it about Toby?"

"No it's not I'm kind of over Toby. I still have nightmares and freak out some times, but I don't know I'm done being the victim and I have been really happy these last couple of days. I'm fine Hanna really."

"Okay if it's not about Toby then it's about Paige or Emily or both what is it?" Hanna says just as I take a drink of my water. I'm trying to hide my feelings but choking when she mentions Paige and Emily is definitely not a good way to do that. "So it is Paige and Emily come on Spence tell me what is going on in that head of yours."

"Hanna it's nothing seriously Emily and Paige are great they are really helping me a lot."

"Yeah they have helped you a lot but there is clearly something bothering you will you please just tell me"

"Han"

"Fine then I'm just going to tell you what I think it is based on what I have seen" Hanna says as I groan. "You have spent so much time with Paige and Emily and in that time you have seen just how similar you and Paige are and just how much you get along. At first you thought you found a great new friend but then you realized that just like with Emily it's always been a little more than friendship. Since you are always with them you can't just ignore it like you always did with Em and now you've got all kinds of thoughts and emotions swirling around in your head like jealousy and guilt."

My jaw dropped and I couldn't believe what I was hearing "y-you got all of that just from watching me?"

"Spence it may surprise you, but I am actually extremely observant and really good at reading you. You have had feelings for Emily for a long time and my guess is you didn't want to risk your friendship so since you were both always dating someone you just left it at that. Now with Paige I see a lot of the same it's clear that you feel more but again friendship is more important so you are afraid to say anything am I right?"

"Yeah you are" I grumble.

"Maybe you should talk to them about"

"No" I cut her off "look Hanna you can't tell them they can't know their friendship is way more important. I just need to start spending less time with them. Distance worked before with Em and it will work now with Paige and Emily."

"Spence I won't tell them, but I still think you should. I will help you out you can talk to me whenever and I will help you with the distance thing if you need too. We all just want you to be happy so I will drop it unless you want to talk about it okay."

"Yeah thanks Han it means a lot. Now let's finish lunch and do some shopping. I need to just get out of my head right now and have some fun!"

"Sounds like a plan!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Authors Notes- **Here's the next update sorry it took so long I was in super study mode for the MCAT then I was at a 5 day music festival and I had VIP tickets so free drinks which meant I had to recover then my family was up for the fourth and my sister's birthday and I'm always hostess so its been busy, but I finally got some time to myself and my writers block cleared so yay. Hopefully I will be able too crank out the next update. This chapter is going to focus on Emily and Paige and their feelings for Spencer. It's a bit more M so if you're not into that don't read it. The next chapter will get back to the trio and eventually things will happen! I want to thank all my followers and everyone who has favorited this story. Also thanks for all the reviews they really mean a lot to me. Let me know what you think about the story and let me know what you want to see happen. Hope you enjoy

**Disclaimer- **I don't own any of the characters or the show if I did we all know what would be cannon!

**-Emily POV-**

_My hands tangle in Paige's hair as I pull her closer to my core. Her tongue slides down to my entrance and she thrusts inside. My hips buck into her and my eyes slam shut as I shake in ecstasy. "God so sexy" Paige groans. _

_My eyes dart open as I feel a mouth circling my breast and confusion sets in. I look from the head on my chest to the head between my thighs and realize that the one between my thighs is not Paige. I try to move or speak or do anything, but the pleasure coursing through me is too much, the stimulation from the two women sends me crashing over the edge. As I come down from my orgasm I feel the other woman crawling up my body on the opposite side of Paige. My eyes flutter open and above me I see Paige and Spencer lips fused together as their hand roamed over each other's perfect bodies. Confusion quickly turned into want and guilt. The want nearly winning out as Paige pulled away and groaned "God I love tasting her on your lips."_

_I slammed my eyes shut and muttered wake up repeatedly until sleep started to fade._

My eyes sprang open as I finally pulled myself from my dream. I looked over to where Paige was cuddled into me sound asleep and sighed as my head fell back against the pillow. Paige and I had drifted off after a great afternoon of sex and apparently my mind decided to take my remaining arousal and run with it. Cuddling with Spencer every night has brought some feelings back to the surface and it's not something I want to deal with again. When I first realized I had feelings for girls I was so caught up in Alison that it was easy to ignore the feelings I had for other girls, but when she went missing and I realized the web I was wrapped in it became harder. I realized I had feelings for Spencer, but I was not willing to put myself back in the situation of crushing on a straight friend. I pushed all the feelings down and hid who I was and eventually I was able to just settle for an incredibly close friendship with Spencer. I was finally able to come out with Maya and even though I still had feelings for others that I was burying I was happy. When Paige finally came out it was so easy to forgive her past indiscretions because although she didn't know it I had feelings for her probably as long as she had feelings for me. She was one of the only girls that still got to me while Ali was around and although it took a while I couldn't be happier now that I am finally with her. I know I would never leave Paige and I wouldn't want to risk my friendship with Spencer, but I am having a difficult time getting the images from my dream out of my mind.

I try to focus on other things, but my mind keeps going back to my dream. Eventually when Spencer is able to stand on her own I know I will be able to get back to normal, but until then I am going to have to try harder to keep the feelings buried for all of our sakes. After a bit more agonizing I felt Paige stir and my focus was easily focused back on her although some guilt was remaining from the dream I had. "Hey" she whispers as her eyes meet mine.

"Hey yourself" I reply as I lean in to press my lips against hers.

"Mmmm" she purrs as she pulls back. "Hmm as much as I would love to stay like this all day maybe we should go shower and head back to Spencer's. We did after all tell her we were going swimming" she says with a wink.

"Yeah" I groan as I roll out of bed grabbing my bag and heading into her bathroom.

As I turn on the shower I feel Paige's hands wrap around my waist and her lips fuse to my neck. She pulls away and whispers into my ear "but that doesn't mean we can't have a bit of fun in the shower." She takes my earlobe into her mouth and a shiver runs down my spine.

We step into the shower and I turn to face her before sliding my hand down to cup her core. "Yeah you're right" I say with a mischievous smirk.

**-Paige POV-**

Once we finished our shower we got dressed and headed back to Spencer's. As Emily drove I held one of her hands and watched her. It still amazes me that everything she does is so beautiful even just sitting there driving it is so graceful and mesmerizing. About half way to Spencer's I was lost in Emily when my phone went off and startled me. I grabbed it without thinking too much about it until I saw the blocked number. I stiffened momentarily then relaxed and put a smile on my face to hide my anxiety from Emily. Noticing my stiffness Emily turned towards me as I opened the message. Attached was a photo of Spencer and I holding hands on one of our runs below it was A's message; _betraying your girlfriend with her best friend! I wonder what she would think about that? _After reading the message I burst out laughing at the absurdity of the threat. A must really be getting desperate if she thinks that picture would threaten our relationship it would take a lot more to break Emily's trust in me.

When I looked up I noticed Emily watching me with worry and curiosity in her eyes so I shrugged and laughed "Apparently A thinks a photo of me and Spencer holding hands and running means we're having a secret affair and that she can threaten me with it, as if I would do something for her to prevent her from sending it to you."

Emily's mouth dropped and she looked back at the road before bursting out with laughter. "Seriously" Emily pushes out between laughs. Finally calming down she wipes a tear from her eye "wow A must be desperate since it was my idea for you to hold her had as you guys ran through that area. As if that would be enough to convince me you were cheating on me. Ha as if you would actually cheat on me! It's not like Spencer is anything but straight. A should really not assume that just because you're close to another female you have feelings for her this is definitely one of her weaker attempts at intimidation."

"Yeah I know right" I laugh nervously. Emily is right for the most part I know she trusts me and I would never in a million years think about cheating on her, but regardless of her sexuality I have always had feelings for Spencer. Emily and Spencer were the two girls I was quickly enamored with, but Spencer's attitude towards me made me fear my feelings even more so those feelings were quickly buried. Actually all my feelings were buried until Emily came out and I couldn't hide anymore. Now I have Emily and the feelings I have for Spencer will stay buried and as we continue to form a close friendship.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice we had arrived Emily was waving her hand in my face "Paige, Paige were here are you alright?"

"Hmm what yeah I'm fine sorry I was just lost in thought."

"Okay if you're sure" she replies as we head into the house.

Spencer wasn't back yet so Emily and I cuddled onto Spencer's bed and put in a movie. I was still lost in thought as I thought about Emily, Spencer, and honesty. I don't want to hurt Emily, but I feel like I should be honest with her so she never has to worry about misinterpreting things with Spencer or anyone else for that matter. Like always Emily knows something is up and she pauses the movie and turns towards me "what's going on Paige? Are you actually worried about that text? You know I trust you right?"

"Em of course I trust you and I know you trust me" I say as I turn towards her and sigh. "Look Em there is something I want to talk to you about"

"Yeah Paige anything just tell me what it is."

"Okay" I say as I drop my head and look at the bed "but you have to listen to everything before you freak out or judge or whatever. No interrupting okay?"

"I promise Paige just tell me what it is."

"Alright so you know I love you and I would never do anything to hurt you right and we have always worked best when we are completely honest with each other. So with that in mind I need to be honest about some stuff that way you don't get any wrong impressions or anything. Okay so you know how I have always had feelings for you?" I ask looking up. She nods and I drop my head and continue. "Okay so back when all my feelings began I was really confused and ignoring it and what not and well you were not exactly the only one I had feelings for."

"Paige of course I wasn't the only one it's not like you were the only one I had feelings for."

"Em no interrupting!" I laugh as she bows her head with a sheepish smile. "Anyway so as I was saying now here's where you might get mad or freak out or whatever, but I just want you to know that this makes no difference I just need you to know so it can't come between us later. So back then I kind of had feelings for Spencer too, but we didn't get along so I ignored them and then you and I happened and she is straight so it was never really a big deal but I mean the feelings were still there deep down. I care about her a lot, but it will never be as more than a friend I would never betray you or leave you or anything I just needed you to know."

When I finished I waited for Emily to respond, but she just sat there staring with her mouth opened. After a while she opened and closed her mouth like she was going to say something, but nothing came out. I couldn't handle the silence afraid that she would freak out and think the worst of me. I grabbed her hands and begged with my eyes "Em come on say something! You know this doesn't change us I just need to be honest with you. I don't want you thinking I lied or anything if one of my old diaries randomly pops up or something."

Emily burst into laughter and I looked at her confused. I was slightly relieved because she didn't look mad, but she still wasn't saying anything. Finally she calmed down and she looked at me noticing my face she turned serious "Sorry I was just picturing a young you writing in a pink princess diary about how much you hate the pink frilly crap and about all your feelings. I highly doubt that A has any of your old diaries, but I get where you're coming from thank you for being honest with me."

Finally I breathed a sigh of relief and smiled nervously "So you're not mad at me?"

"Honestly Paige I would be a hypocrite if I were mad at you for your feelings."

I looked at her confused "What do you mean? Why would you be a hypocrite?"

"Well I guess I should be honest with you too I love you and I have had feelings for you basically as long as you have for me, but I have always sort of had feelings for Spencer too. I never wanted to risk our friendship or have another Ali situation with a straight friend so I always just ignored it I mean it's easy to ignore when I have you by my side."

When she finished she looked down and I had to collect my thoughts. I couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that Emily had feelings for Spencer too. I thought I would tell her and it would become an issue and now well maybe it might still be an issue, but still it's just it's not.

"Okay so we both have feelings for her, but neither of us want to act on it and we have both loved each other for like forever" I finally say.

"Yeah right" Emily laughs nervously.

Something feels off with Em and I watch her fidget before gathering the courage to ask her what I think she's thinking, what I hope she's not thinking or maybe what I hope she's thinking. "Em" I start shakily "do you want to act on it?" she looks up frantic and worried so I grabbed her hands "hey it's okay I know you wouldn't cheat on me or anything, but if things were different if she were gay would you want to act on it?"

She looks down and fumbles with her hands for a while before she finally looks back up at me. "Yeah" she whispers so quietly I can barely hear her. I squeeze her hands reassuringly encouraging her to continue. I'm nervous about what she might say but a part of me is somewhat excited. "I…I…I" she stutters "I think…I mean…I just"

"Em it's okay just talk to me I'm okay, you're okay, and we're okay. It's just a conversation we're just talking. Just be honest with me okay."

She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath then slowly looks into my eyes. "Ever since I realized I liked girls after I got out from under Ali's thumb I have had really intense feelings for you and Spencer. Then it turned out you liked me too and I am so happy and you are enough you have always been enough never doubt that, but now I know you like Spencer too and it's just I don't know yeah I think if things were different I just…I mean…" Again I squeeze her hands encouragingly and she takes another deep breath. "Okay maybe if I try telling you about a dream I had recently. So in this dream I was being intimate with you" she blushes and looks down before continuing. "So we were being intimate only it wasn't just you Spencer was there too and it kind of freaked me out because I felt like I was betraying you, but then you guys were making out on top of me and it was the hottest thing I think I have ever seen. So yeah if she was gay or at least bi and she liked both of us maybe I would want to act on it, but I would never want to do anything to jeopardize our relationship. It was just a dream it's not like it will ever happen or I would want to even risk it, but...I mean it was just a dream, just…yeah."

When it's clear she's done I'm not sure what to say I want to tell her it's okay, to tell her I might want that too, but I can't get past the dream. Without permission my brain spouts out a question that causes both of us to blush "W-what was she doing to you i-in this dream?"

Emily blushes and ducks her head and I'm about to apologize when she suddenly locks eyes with me. "She was…you were sucking on my breasts and watching her while she was between my thighs after I came you and her shared my cum while you made out."

It shocks me how blunt she is but the shock fades fast and is replaced with an intense desire. I feel my arousal pool between my thighs as a clear picture forms in my mind. "That is so hot!"

Emily laughs as she straddles me and bites my earlobe. "That's what you said in my dream as you watched Spencer's tongue thrust into me" she husks into my ear sending a shiver down my spine.

All I can do is whimper as my clit begins to throb. I throw Emily onto her back and thrust my hand into her panties running my hand through her folds. "God you are so wet" I moan as I thrust two fingers into her. Emily bucks up into my touch and thrusts her hand into my pants to rub my clit.

"Oh God yes" she squeals as I brush against her g-spot. "Jesus Paige you're just as wet! Does thinking about Spencer between my thighs turn you on? Does it make you wet thinking about tasting me on her tongue?"

"Fuck YES" I moan "shit if she ever hints at liking women we are so seducing her and fucking the shit out of her."

"Oh fuck shit yes yes yes" Emily screamed as she came. Feeling her walls clench around my fingers was enough to send me over the edge.

Suddenly the sound of the front door closing echoed up the stairs reminding me where we were and I jump off of Emily and cross the room just as Spencer and Hanna enter the room. The girls stop in the doorway and look between Emily and myself and I can feel my cheeks flush even more. Before anyone can say anything I push past them mumbling about going to the bathroom as I rush into to clean up and grab a hold of my lingering arousal. After cleaning up I splash water on my face and sigh as I realize that was a really bad idea there is no way I am going to be able to look at Spencer, hell sleep with Spencer now without having inappropriate thoughts. I don't know how I am going to bury my feelings now. "Fuck" I growl as I realize how screwed I am.

**-Spencer POV-**

When Hanna and I get back to my house Emily's car is there which means Paige and Emily are back. I'm nervous because I know Hanna won't purposely say anything that would give me away, but I know her she is going to tease me and off handedly imply things which will make it harder to ignore. I don't want them to know because I don't want to lose their comfort. I don't want it to get awkward while I'm still relying on them to help put me back together. I especially don't want them to find out because I can't handle their rejection. Even if one of them did have feelings for me it's clear that neither of them would ever risk their relationship by bringing me in. They are too in love for me to ever matter that way and while it hurts either way I would rather have a great friendship than be rejected.

When we get into the house I hear scurrying upstairs and I quirk an eyebrow at Hanna and walk up stairs. The image on the other side of my door makes me turned on and heartbroken at the same time. Emily and Paige are both flushed and panting and it's clear that they were either just having sex or they were on their way to it. The image is so hot, but it just reminds me that I am not nor will I ever be a part of their relationship. Suddenly Paige rushes past us mumbling about the bathroom and we are left alone with Emily.

"Gees Em did you not have enough alone time at the pool with Paige? Had to bring it back here" Hanna says as she wiggles her eyebrows.

"Hanna" Emily groans as she covers her face

Hanna laughs and looks at me with a raised eyebrow before turning back to heckle Emily some more. Before she can say anything more I turn towards the door "I'm going to go make dinner so yeah" I say as I rush out the door and to the kitchen.

When I get to the kitchen I try and calm my emotions as I pull out food for dinner. The cooking relaxes me a bit, but I'm still on edge when Paige comes into the kitchen and startles me.

"Hey sorry I didn't mean to startle you she says as she looks at the floor"

"No its fine I just didn't hear you come in" I say as I focus back on the vegetables I was chopping.

"Do you want some help?" Paige asks timidly

"Um sure yeah you can start the sauce for the chicken I was thinking chicken parmesan with steamed veggies" I reply awkwardly.

"Sounds good" Paige says as she turns to the stove. An awkward silence fills the air until Paige speaks "Spence I'm sorry for what you walked in on earlier I didn't mean to…I wasn't planning on…I'm just I hope this doesn't make things awkward with us."

"Yeah no its fine it won't make it awkward it's normal and I know you guys haven't had much alone time what with taking care of me and all."

"Hey Spence it's not like you're a child were babysitting okay you are a friend we are helping out and it's not affecting us it was just a conversation that got a little heated and we got a little carried away."

"Yeah I get it it's okay Paige I'm just a little tired right now Hanna dragged me all over the mall she didn't even let me rest at all. Seriously that is the last time I agree to go shopping with her unless I have other people to veto her."

Paige laughs and the tension in the room dissipates a bit I finish the veggies and get them in the steamer and turn to help Paige. "Spence why don't you go find the girls and chill I will finish dinner. Go relax"

"No I'm fine" I insist as I reach for the chicken.

"Seriously Spence there isn't much left to do at least sit down and relax in here. I'm fine to finish I wasn't the one dragged around the mall all day." Paige insists as she swats my hand away from the chicken.

"Alright fine I will be in the living room I don't really want to listen to Hanna gossip anymore and I'm sure she is probably still heckling Em about your earlier excursions."

"Hahaha okay yeah I guess there is only so much Hanna you can handle if you're alone all day especially if the mall is involved. Go rest take a nap whatever I will come get you when it's done."

"Yeah okay sounds good."


End file.
